Declan Rice absolutely raved about his West Ham teammate Jarrod Bowen, when speaking to the club’s official website yesterday.
The 23-year-old joined the Hammers from Hull City on transfer deadline day in January, for around £22 million (The Guardian).
David Moyes has eased the attacker into action, however, and he had to wait until yesterday before he was handed his first start for West Ham.
And he didn’t disappoint.
Bowen opened his goalscoring account for the Hammers inside 15 minutes against Southampton with a neat finish past the outrushing Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.
He made three successful dribbles and completed 69% of his 13 attempted passes. The 23-year-old attempted four shots on goal, with two of those hitting the target. The former Hull ace also had four touches inside Southampton’s box (Football Critic).
And Rice offered high words of praise for Bowen, when speaking exclusively to WHUFC.com:
“Jarrod, I have to say, is top notch. He’s very sharp and he’ll be excellent for us. I think West Ham fans should definitely be excited about him because in training he dribbles around you, he’s as sharp as anything and he will be getting chances in every game and I’m pretty sure he will put them in the back of the net like he did today. We should be confident about him and keep getting around him because he’s an excellent signing for us.”
If Bowen can produce his best form between now and the end of the season, West Ham will have a great chance of avoiding relegation down to the Championship.
The 23-year-old has already proven that he is capable of succeeding in the Premier League with his performance yesterday.
And £22 million for his signature might end up looking like a real steal for the Hammers.
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